Name: A Dallas man lost his eye in a protest. Now he wants Police Chief Hall to find those responsible
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A Dallas man lost his eye in a protest. Now he wants Police Chief Hall to find those responsible

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3:54 PM on Jun 3, 2020 CDTBrandon Saenz was looking for his friend at a May 30 protest in downtown Dallas when he says he saw a line of police. Then, he said, he was hit with so-called less-lethal ammunition that shattered his left eye.Now Saenz, his family and lawyers are demanding Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall denounce the incident and find the person responsible.Dallas police have not replied to The Dallas Morning News’ requests for comment, but two officers spoke with Saenz on Wednesday. According to the department’s internal policies, less-lethal ammunition such as rubber or pepper balls “should never be used to intentionally target the head, neck, face, eyes, or spine, unless deadly force is justified."It’s unknown what Saenz was hit with.“I just want my justice,” Saenz said Wednesday, recounting the incident while flanked by his father and lawyers.Saenz, a black man who turned 26 Wednesday, lost his eye, seven teeth and fractured the left side of his face. Saenz said he was near the Dallas Public Library’s downtown branch across from City Hall where a peaceful demonstration was taking place Saturday afternoon when he saw officers and heard a “boom.”The two police officers who interviewed Saenz following an 11 a.m. news conference were from the department’s public integrity division, said his attorney, Daryl Washington.“Brandon was out peacefully protesting police brutality and now he’s a victim,” Washington said. "We can’t continue to have innocent individuals injured by police officers who have taken an oath to serve and protect.”Washington also represents the family of Botham Jean, a black man shot in his apartment in 2018 by former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger. She was and sentenced to 10 years in prison.Major American cities across the country — — have been the site of ongoing protests in response to the killing of black Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a white police officer, who knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Thousands marched in Dallas, with some in attendance turning to violence and the destruction of property on Friday and Saturday. Police used tear gas during the initial demonstrations, and a 7 p.m. curfew was implemented Sunday in parts of Dallas to quell violence.Saenz’s family is also being represented by attorney Jasmine Crockett, who demanded Hall take responsibility for what happened.Hall has publicly spoken out against the officer accused of killing Floyd and has said she supports the rights of peaceful protesters.“We don’t need your words, I need your actions,” Crockett said. “She can actually let the community know — not behind closed doors — but in front of everybody, she can let them know, ‘I’m demanding this action of my officers. They fall under my command.’ She needs to strongly proclaim that she will not stand for this kind of violence.”Saenz’s father, Andre Ray, in an interview with The News, pointed to the irony of his black son being injured at a protest against police brutality.“They weren’t doing anything abnormal other than protesting," he said. “Why do we handle young men this way? Why do we use aggression? Why do we use violence?”Washington and Crockett said what happened to Saenz is clearly systematic. They’ve identified at least three other individuals who suffered similar injuries at Dallas protests.“Either that’s the way they are being trained or they’re not trained how to properly use that gun,” Washington said.Dallas police during the weekend protests. It’s unclear whether Saenz’s case is one of them.Washington said several witnesses saw the incident involving his client. He also pointed to a video on Twitter that showed police officers gathered up the block as Saenz lay on the ground bleeding, surrounded by other protesters.DALLAS: officers laughing and singing “America, F*ck Yeah!” seconds after shooting a Black demonstrator in the eye with a wooden round, severely injuring him. — Chad Loder (@chadloder)Crockett asked any individual with footage from the protest to come forward to possibly help identify who shot Saenz.“We need the help of the community,” she said. “We don’t want to go after the entire department."Saenz’s family has created a GoFund Me page . Staff researchers Meagan Hurley and Alyssa Fernandez contributed.Get email alerts on breaking news stories as soon as they happen.By signing up you agree to our

3:54 PM on Jun 3, 2020 CDTBrandon Saenz was looking for his friend at a May 30 protest in downtown Dallas when he says he saw a line of police. Then, he said, he was hit with so-called less-lethal ammunition that shattered his left eye.Now Saenz, his family and lawyers are demanding Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall denounce the incident and find the person responsible.Dallas police have not replied to The Dallas Morning News’ requests for comment, but two officers spoke with Saenz on Wednesday. According to the department’s internal policies, less-lethal ammunition such as rubber or pepper...

A Dallas man lost his eye in a protest. Now he wants Police Chief Hall to find those responsible

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